Raquel Agusto
Raquel Agusto (1947-) was President of Brazil from 2016 to 2018, interrupting Brenda Gandara's terms. Her presidency was the first time that the Brazilian Labor Party held the presidency in three years, but the PTB lacked the immense power which it had once held ten years before. The PTB government was ineffective due to the other parties' domination of the Chamber of Deputies, and the PTB mostly failed to raise taxes or abolish government programs. Agusto's tenure saw the economy's decline be slowed but not halted, and her party was duly defeated in the 2018 election. Biography Raquel Agusto was born in Recife, Pernambuco, Brazil in 1947, and she worked as a union organizer before entering politics with the Brazilian Labor Party during the 1980s and 1990s. In 2001, she was elected to the Chamber of Deputies, and she quickly established herself as a recognizable politician due to her appearances in many attack ads and her involvement in writing PTB legislation. She was not known to be involved in the party's criminal activities, and she was the party's choice for President in 2013, as the incumbent President Eduardo Doreira believed that the only way to prevent the PTB's defeat was to rebrand the party and play down its involvement in political violence and authoritarian legislation. The PTB was reduced to fourth place in the ensuing election, and Agusto would lead the PTB in opposition over the next three years, frequently proposing tax legislation and attempts to abolish wasteful spending programs. She distinguished herself and her party as voices of economic reason during an economic depression in which the leading parties unwisely increased spending while cutting taxes, and, in the 2016 general election, the PTB returned to second place behind the PT. In the ensuing presidential election, Agusto narrowly defeated incumbent President Brenda Gandara 51.3%-48.8%, and she assumed office that same week. Presidency Agusto came to power during a time of great change in Brazil. The right-wing of Brazilian politics, represented by the PMDB and the Progressistas, faded from importance as the real struggle for supremacy took place between the leftist and center-left parties, especially as the PDT rose again from obscurity. She suffered early defeats when the Chamber approved the return of driving licenses and state-funded religious education, which added to government expenditures. Agusto attempted to rebuild the PTB machine with a bank secrecy law, but it was defeated 16-15. A coffee tax proposal also failed 18-15, and the right wing and the PSDB voted 17-15 to end gun control. Gambling was legalized in a vote of 20-10, and Agusto bribed the Progressistas to help the Chamber pass a bank secrecy law, which it did in a 20-10 vote. National parks were abolished in a 21-9 vote, followed by the bus transport service in a 22-12 vote. A sporting victory raised public morale, but PTB morale sunk when arts subsidies were passed 19-15. In December 2017, the PT sunk to 22.77% and 9 seats, the PSDB rose to 21.59% and 9 seats, the PP rose to 19.44% and 8 seats, the PTB sunk to 16.99% and 7 seats, the PMDB sunk to 11.01% and 4 seats, and the PDT rose to 8.19% and 3 seats. Agusto's last act as President was to help with the 28-11 passage of an income tax, and, on 1 January 2018, Gandara was elected President with 60% of the vote. In 2020, Agusto led the party to win 23.10% of the vote and 9 seats, making it the largest in the country, but she lost the presidential election to PP leader Helena Silves 54.1% to 45.9%. Hoping to provide the party with a fresh face, Agusto stepped down as leader and handed the job to Mariana Ribeiro. Category:1947 births Category:Brazilian politicians Category:Brazilians Category:Politicians Category:Catholics Category:Brazilian Labor Party members Category:Brazilian social democrats Category:Social democrats Category:Brazilian presidents Category:Presidents